Teri, Don't worry too much about double posting (or double-hyping as some might think.) Interesting how the optimists tend to have more fun in life (and investing.)
This article is from today's Electronic Buyers' News:
Taiwan Aims At Being IC Basket To The World
By Mark LaPedus
With its previously announced plans to build a plethora of new 8-in. and 300- mm wafer fabs, Taiwan could become the largest IC producer in Asia, if not the world, over the next decade, according to a chip executive at the Semicon Taiwan trade show Wednesday.
Taiwan, now the world's fifth largest IC producer, could surpass Japan and South Korea in wafer consumption in the future, said Kenjiro Kamijo, manager of the marketing department for Taipei-based Formosa Komatsu Silicon Corp., a joint silicon wafer manufacturing venture between Japan's Komatsu and Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group.
Taiwan's chip makers are now consuming 200,000 to 250,000 wafers per month, but the island's IC companies could double that to 500,000 wafers a month by 2000, Kamijo said.
"The island could also have the most 300-mm fabs in the world in the future," he said. The island's chip makers have announced a slew of new and costly 8-in. and 300-mm fabs since the beginning of this year, totaling $67 billion in investments.
Today, Taiwan has about 19 8-in. fabs up and running on the island. If Taiwan's chip makers make good on promises, the island could have four additional 8-in. fabs--and 24 to 25 300-mm plants--in operation over the next decade. As of now, however, that's all they are - promises. |
